


Someone Has to Die

by InsaneJul



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Character Death, Fire, Gen, Love Confessions (almost), M/M, Missions Gone Wrong, gency if you squint, oh god why do I hate myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 16:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8585659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJul/pseuds/InsaneJul
Summary: A mission goes wrong, and Hanzo and McCree are caught in the crossfire.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based off of "No-one has to die", a great puzzle game (play it!! Seriously!) that I replayed today and was reminded of McHanzo by certain characters. So, I wrote this terribly painful piece. You've been warned.

            It started like any other mission. Genji scouted ahead. Hanzo took his position high up to catch any hostiles before they reached McCree and Angela. Winston hadn’t been sure about sending them out together, until Jesse wore him down by swearing up and down they were all adults and didn’t need any goddamn supervision, seriously, Winston, I’m 37 years old, Winston, I can shoot your armor off your legs from 100 feet. The gorilla finally gave in after Mercy and Tracer advocated for the idea, but he made Mercy go along, to keep an eye on them. And, quite honestly, to prevent any serious complications putting Genji and Hanzo on the same team.

            Of course, nothing can ever go to plan. It was really just supposed to be recon on an old Talon base. Hanzo was up on the roof keeping lookout. Genji had gone inside first and waved McCree in. Mercy remained close by Jesse’s side to make sure he didn’t make any stupid moves. He resented being babysat, but if it meant he could get off the training floor he’d do pretty much anything. And, if he’s being honest, being on a team with the hot archer didn’t motivate him any less. Hanzo was…well, he was more than hot, he was _gorgeous_ , and his smile was more than beautiful, it was _special,_ like the sun was shining a little brighter. Something about the calm way he spoke was soothing, and his hunt for redemption was so painfully familiar to the cowboy he couldn’t help but empathize. He couldn’t help but want to do whatever it took to bring him back from that edge.

            Mercy was talking to Genji about something inane while McCree slowly made his way through the building, when the comms crackled to life. “Hostile incoming,” Hanzo said. “East entrance. She has some sort of weapon that I cannot identify.”  
            “Okay, do you got a clear shot?” McCree asked, watching Genji silently making an escape plan.

            “No, she is moving too quickly. I recommend you leave immediately.”  
            “We will,” Genji interrupted whatever Jesse would have replied. He took Angela’s arm. “Come on, Jesse. Let’s go.”  
            “Wait, where are you, Hanzo? Are you moving?” McCree insisted.

            “I’m moving. The ceiling is not very stable. I am working on it.”  
            Genji was already on his way out, but McCree stalled as much as possible. He wanted to be sure that Hanzo was gone. He could hear the other man’s light footsteps on the roof. That’s when everything went wrong.

            Just after Mercy had gotten out the door, the backside of the building lit up. She screamed out for Genji, who reached toward her, but the ceiling had begun to cave in, and he could no longer exit through the door. He desperately searched for another way out. “Jesse!” he shouted. “The door is no longer an option!”

  
            “Where the hell is your brother?!” Jesse yelled back. Almost the instant the words left his mouth, the roof caved in completely about 20 feet to McCree’s left, and Hanzo fell onto the floor. He groaned in pain, and McCree started toward him, but another piece of the roof fell and blocked his way. “Hanzo! Are you all right?”  
            “Yes,” the fire was making its way toward the center of the room slowly, and McCree wasn’t sure which one of them it would burn first. He hoped it would be him. “Is Genji still inside?”  
            “I’m here, brother.”  
            “Dammit!” Hanzo leapt to his feet in sudden rage. “You should have gotten out.”  
            “I can see you both. I believe I am safe close to the original exit here, but you are both in danger.”

            “Of course we are,” McCree grumbled. “Nothing can go to plan around here, can it?”  
            “I cannot see much,” Hanzo coughed. “The smoke is growing. Is there a way for us to get out?”

            “I can still see you,” Jesse offered, and Hanzo gave him a nasty look.

            “I…there is one path out.”  
            “Then what is the problem, Genji?”  
            “I can see the ceiling is about to cave in. It is likely that only one of you will be able to make it out.”  
            “What?! That’s unacceptable. That can’t be right.”  
            “Fine. Then send Jesse out.”  
            “WHAT?!” McCree shouted in Hanzo’s general direction. The smoke was getting too thick to see the other man clearly. “No way. We’re both getting out of here.”  
            The ceiling cracked audibly.

            “Jesse. Move. Now,” Hanzo’s voice was harsh and firm.

            “I don’t know which way to go! There’s too much goddamn smoke! You get over here. Follow my voice, dammit!”  
            “Genji, tell McCree how to get out of his present area.”

            Genji’s eye slits glowed an eerie green in comparison to the growing orange light. “You are asking me to choose?”  
            “Genji! Jesse! What’s happening?” Angela’s screams could be heard from outside. A loud crack heard could be heard from the other side of the wall. “I’m going to get you out!”

            “Angela! Everything’s going to be okay!” Jesse shouted back.

            “Please, brother,” Hanzo requested, the calm façade in his voice beginning to break. “Tell Jesse to get out.”

            “Don’t you dare, Genji. Don’t you fucking dare,” Jesse growled. “Get him out. Get your brother out!”  
            Genji grabbed his head and shook it violently. “I can’t choose between two lives. No one should make that choice! Both of you come!”  
            “We will be crushed, Genji. Let McCree out.”  
            “How can you ask that of him?!” Jesse screamed over the crackling of the fire and the collapsing walls. “He lost you once. You’ve only just come back to him. How can you ask him to let you go again??”  
            “It was I who let him go!” Hanzo shouted back, all pretense dropped. “I don’t deserve to live anymore. Not after what I did to him. He should not have forgiven me. I don’t deserve his forgiveness. You deserve the rest of this life, Jesse, I know you do. Please, just go.”

            “Jesse, take two steps forward, then turn right.”  
            “No!” McCree yelled at Genji. “Don’t give me any damn instructions! I won’t leave him!”  
            “Take the two steps, McCree.”  
            Jesse turned to look at the bare silhouette of the archer through the heavy smoke. He coughed once, then said, in a lower tone so only that man could hear, “I don’t want to lose you.”  
            “This is my decision.”

            “I…I care about you.”    
            “Please save yourself, Jesse. You don’t deserve to die here. And you certainly don’t deserve to waste any love on me,” Hanzo quietly intoned, then sat down on the floor. Jesse wanted to protest, but Genji shouted for him again. He took two steps forward, then turned right.

            “Take seven more steps forward.” He obeyed, robotically.

            “Now turn left and climb over that wreckage. It should be stable.” He obeyed again.

            “Can you see me?”

            Jesse walked toward the green glow. “Hey, Genji.”  
            “Jesse…” he began, but was cut off by the ceiling finally collapsing on the escape route Genji had devised. It was too late. Hanzo was trapped.

            Mercy broke through the wall after beating it over and over with her staff. She helped Genji climb out, then Jesse. “Where is Hanzo?” she asked. Neither man would answer her for a time.

            “He…didn’t make it out.”  
            “What do you mean? He is still inside? But—the fire— “  
            “He couldn’t get out in time, all right?” Jesse roared at her. “Just…let it be. He’s gone.”  
            “He’s not gone!” she huffed right back, spread her wings, and lifted off.

            “No! Angela, you’ll hurt yourself. Please, he’s gone now,” Genji called after her. He lowered himself onto his knees. “I let him die.”  
            “He asked you to save me,” McCree reminded him, placing a hand on his mechanical shoulder. “You did what he wanted. And I…I owe you my life.”  
            The rest of the building fell in on itself. As the entire thing went up in flames, Jesse felt tears prick his eyes. He didn’t get to say…he didn’t get to say enough. Genji made a choked noise.

            Mercy landed on her feet beside them wordlessly. She had a fire-scorched bow in her hands, with a piece of fabric tied around it.

            “I think he threw this up so we would find it,” she said quietly, offering it to Genji. The cyborg rose to his feet, then accepted the bow in silence. He untied the fabric and Jesse could almost see him smiling.

            “He untied his hair,” Genji almost laughed it out. “He gave us his hair tie.”  
            “Why…would he do that?”  
            “I think,” Genji replied, holding the tie out to Jesse, “he wanted us all to have a piece of him.”

           

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, okay?


End file.
